PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): December 2,
1997 - The South Pacific Commission will be holding a two-weeks
course in February, at a venue to be decided, on Vessel Operation
Management and Electronic Aids for Commercial Fishing Skippers or
Captains. The training is funded by the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP), according to Vice President Leo A. Falcam's letter of
September 23, 1997, to the four State Governors.

The objective of the course is to help skippers better understand
the costs of ship's operations and to introduce new ideas and new
technologies to improve catches.

The course is designed to build upon participants' varied existing
skills and improve the areas they lack expertise.

Priority for selecting participants should be given to skippers or
first mate on commercial boats fishing in the Pacific Island waters,
Falcam stated.

Selected individuals will be entitled to a round-trip airline
ticket and subsistence allowance for any stop-over. Additional
participants are welcome. However, expenses for any additional
participant from each entity should be borne by the sending
sponsoring government or organization.

All nominations should be forwarded to the FSM Department of
External Affairs.